Sometimes you find no definite well but a whole lot of interesting stories! Whilst browsing through the holy well entries for Bantry in the Schools’ Folklore Collection, as you do, I came across this extraordinary account. My Gaeilge being somewhat lacking, I sought help from a Gaeilgeoir and this is her translation: The Magical Well […]
Schools' Folklore Project
The Red Well, Tobar Dearg: a moving well
Having come down off Mushera Mór of course the sun came out and fuelled by a large bowl of soup we felt able to explore another well. What an unexpected delight this was. The Red Well, Tobar Dearg, Toberderg Rather intriguingly, it sounded as though the Red Well, Tobar Dearg, was on two sides of […]
Fursey, Friday & Sunday: well hunting around Banteer
Day 2 of the Banteer explorations and the the first well on today’s agenda was very close to where we were staying. St Fursey’s Well (or Forsin or Forsa or Fursa) seemed to lie just outside an old graveyard. We found the graveyard easily enough, right beside the road and very enticing it was too […]
St Ita & St Finnian: more exploring around Millstreet
North Cork is rich in holy wells and although we have made several fruitful exploratory visits already, there are still plenty of interesting sites to visit. We travelled with our friends Robert and Finola of Roaringwater Journal fame and treated ourselves to two nights in a large and spacious Airbnb just outside Banteer. St Ita’s […]
Thwarted
Thwarted at every turn today by cattle, streams, briars and tiny winding roads with five rather obscure wells on the agenda, roughly between Macroom and Carrigadrohid. No great successes well-wise, but I did encounter a few things of interests and the day was beautiful. Well of the White Fort, Tobar an Rátha Bháin, Toberbaun, Tobar […]
Island Wells 5: Heir Island, Inis Uí Dhrisceoil
Heir island is a remarkable place, tiny at just 2.5km long and 1.5km at its widest, but it has rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, green boreens, and wild moorland. It is home to more than 200 different wildflowers and a haven for birds. 26 souls enjoy it year round but in the summer the numbers swell […]